You’ve probably witnessed a tremendous amount of unrest recently. It doesn’t matter where you are in life. There is unrest among communities of color protesting against police brutality and racism: among medically vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic; across political aisles as we near the presidential election; among educators as they are required to work in this new normal, many unable to provide the highest quality of teaching to their pupils; among parents who are unable to manage childcare and work.

The cause of unrest in these situations differs, and the personability of each issue differs based on our life experiences. Nonetheless, just because an issue isn’t personable to me, doesn’t mean that it’s not worth supporting. There are trends I’m seeing in each category of unrest. People are hurt, they are tired, they are fed up, they are angry. Most importantly, they want something to change. And asking nicely doesn’t always get things done. This unrest is also evident  on college campus dorms, as RAs demand action from our leadership to put students and staff higher on their priority list. 

In my life, as a Resident Advisor on my college campus, RAs are on strike demanding the university to change how poorly they have been dealing with the pandemic. Graduate Student Instructors preceded us, and Dining Hall workers joined in as well. Many staff groups on campus have been affected by the decisions our administration has made, decisions that prioritize the profit and reputation of the institution above the safety and well-being of students. 

Starting my junior year as an RA during a global pandemic and arguably the most unpredictable and stressful year of my life has not been fun. I’ve been Zoomed out to my core, trying to support a batch of  30+ first-year students, and honestly doing my best to stay as healthy as possible. However, as I witnessed my Resident Advisor family disclose their dissatisfaction with our leadership and administration, it made me think about my life masked and covered in privilege that allows me to feel impartial about solving the problems so many of them have identified. After conversations with many of them, I stand in solidarity with my colleagues, hoping to hold those in charge to a higher ethical standard. 

There is a passage in Romans that I love.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” – Romans 12:9-13 (ESV)

Whether you stand firmly for or against the issues causing unrest in your community, can we all hold onto these verses? Our heavenly Father has charged us to live such a life. Can we listen to others’ stories? Can we honor one another? Can we be patient? With these words guiding us, I believe the Lord will lead us to productive discourse. 

I know this short essay can’t completely convey the complexities in each of the issues I’ve listed in the first paragraph. Neither can it fully explain the cause and reason for unrest in our broken world. However, I hope that you can take some time to consider how each of us should walk our talk of loving genuinely, abhorring evil, showing honor to one another, and serving our faithful God.